Page:Association Football and How to Play It (1908) by John Cameron.djvu/58

56 matter, has been under the impression that all professionals get the £4 per week. That is not so. Many of the smaller clubs cannot afford to pay it. There are many who never get beyond 50s. per week. No doubt the organisation of school games has had a great deal to do with turning the attention of promising lads at school to football as a career. It is true that one out of a thousand schoolboy players may get signed on, but I hardly know of half a dozen. Hundreds of young men apply to clubs for a trial, and are soon convinced that they have not skill enough, but those few who are lucky should weigh the matter seriously. I know there are many who may argue that they can, after their playing days are over, get a position as trainer or manager to some club. Such a place as I had, for instance, for many years, but, like everything else nowadays, there are only a very limited number of these positions, while there are scores of applicants for them, and for every vacancy to be filled there are generally one or two who have very strong backing, and there is little chance for the outsider. Others have often pointed out to me that after a certain number of years they will be entitled to a benefit. This is quite correct, but even if the benefit comes off how much does it bring in? I should fancy that an average benefit does not give more than £300 or £400—indeed, a footballer is considered very lucky if the match that he has chosen brings him £150. I have known a great many that have brought in less. Mr. J. J. Bentley, who is now the President of the Football League, once wrote an article on